What about Breakfast at Tiffany's?
by BuzzKills
Summary: It's all fun and sex, until someone falls in love. COMPLETE. Takes place in San Francisco after Buffy Season 8-Comics. Spoiler: Giles is dead. Xander is dating Dawn. Buffy is a pariah in the Slayer community. This is a stand-alone story. I don't own any Buffy stuff. Joss Whedon & his company owns everything Buffy.
1. Chapter 1-Revised

Dawn and Xander helped Buffy move to a different district in San Francisco albeit closer to her work as a waitress in 'Breakfast at Tiffany's,' a coffee shop. She stayed with them for a while, sleeping on their couch.

Going from commanding 500 slayers to sleeping on a couch hurts the ego a bit. Back then, she was The Boss of everyone, literally. She oversaw the operations. No one did anything without her permission. As of late, the only operations she oversaw was delivering, mostly but not limited to, caffeine-laden beverages to customers. Buffy - not the boss of anyone, in these parts.

The other Slayers didn't like her as much nowadays, not as much as, say, five months ago when the Seed of Wonder wasn't broken in a million tiny pieces. Something about betraying the cause.

Breaking the Seed, hidden all this time underneath Sunnydale, Buffy saved the world again. But not without a cost. Magic expired a bit sooner than forever in the entire universe. Oh, and here comes the betraying part, it broke the Slayer lineage. Those who were called were still Slayers with Slayer powers, but no one is getting called anymore. No one will ever be. It was the greatest betrayal of all, so they keep telling her. She has become a pariah in the Slayer community, which wouldn't have come to existence, if not for her anyway. Ironic, huh? Welcome to Buffy's life, home to punchlines and ironies.

Xander huffed while carrying a big box up the steps into Buffy's apartment, which was on the second floor in a two-storey building. "I think that's it?" Buffy let him in, as he put the box down, he scanned the empty apartment except for the boxes lying around. "Is it just me or don't you have a bed?"

Buffy grimaced at the pieces of iron bed frame wrapped in plastic behind them. "I have a bed but we have, err, you have to assemble it." She walked over to the box with the label, IKEA, and the mattress, pointing at them. "Got the frame really cheap. But the mattress, not so cheap."

"Oh, this is easy, easy as pie. I - am quite skilled with my hands. True story." Xander winked at Buffy and Dawn as he picked up a piece of paper with directions on it. The two girls rolled their eyes.

"Not bad, Buffy. I'm surprised you can afford, like, any of it." Dawn's eyes darted all around the room. The studio apartment had 30 square meters of space inside with carpeted floors. It immediately opened to the living room / bedroom area, occupying the most space, rounded by a closet at the end. There's a small kitchen area to the right and a bathroom next to it. Further down, a back door opened to a small patio.

"I can make the monthly rent. It's not pricey or anything. Also got some money left over from, you know..." Buffy trailed off. Not wanting to be reminded of the past incidents that started in Scotland, ending in the rubble of Sunnydale, but the images are now playing in her head.

"Scotland." Dawn looked up from the floor, at her sister. "You shouldn't be ashamed of what you've done, Buffy. What you did was a great service to mankind. God knows it was too much for one person to bear."

"Yeah, well..." Buffy focused on the hems of her sweater.

"I still don't understand." Xander swtiched from the headboard to the footboard, screwing the pieces in to the sides. "Why would they hate you with such a passion? You saved the world - again. For the nth time. If you hadn't broken the Seed, those monsters would have taken over the planet, killing all living things, which is basically everything and everyone."

"They see it differently." Buffy was not making eye contact to anyone. "I slept with the enemy, broke the Seed, broke the slayer lineage, betrayed the cause..."

"I can see why some would hate you for that, but all of them?" Dawn gave Xander an innocent look. Xander was wincing at her, which was their coded message for 'foot in your mouth big time.'

Dawn crossed her arms, ignoring her boyfriend. "Willow couldn't have defeated all those monsters in time, Buffy. They were pouring in from everywhere, literally. We were there, we know. You had to make a decision, for the greater good."

"Yeah, well, I'm just trying to focus on the now and move on. Something they should really try." Buffy is back to her upbeat and confident self. Her arms lightly swinging at her sides.

Xander winked at her positivity, his eyes smiling. "Done and done. You, my friend, are ready to sleep on that bed." Xander dragged the feet of the bed frame to a different position and placed the bulky mattress on top of it. "There. Now you're really ready to sleep on this..." Xander collapsed on top of it, panting. Dawn and Buffy chuckled at the sight.

Dawn tapped on his belly as she lay beside him. "Grandpa Xander ain't fit like he used to."

Buffy sat beside them and rustled his hair, leaning down. "You think we should buy him a cane?"

"I resent that." He grabbed both girls' necks, placing them in a headlock.

"Okay, okay, I yield." Buffy broke free, standing up. Dawn continued to snuggle up to Xander. The PDA was making the Slayer a little uneasy still. Her bestfriend from high school and her little sister shacking up. She shuddered at the visuals threatening to play in her head. "So you guys have been a really great help. But I got a lot of settling in to do, what with all these boxes."

Xander kissed Dawn before getting up, extending a hand to help her up. "All righty. The little girl is kicking us out after we helped her move. Really heavy boxes by the way. I'm not hurt at all, nope."

"We'll hang out soon. After I'm done with moving, like really done."

Dawn hugged her sister. "Call us anytime for whatever."

"Yeah. We're here for you, Buff. You may be the slayer but..." Xander gave her a hug. "I got nothing."

Buffy snickered. "I will call. Promise. You guys take care." The couple exited hand in hand. Closing the door behind them, the blond Slayer jumped to her bed. She closed her eyes for a nap but ended up sleeping the whole night through.

Buffy pried her face off the bare mattress, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand, eyes fluterring open. Her phone's alarm woke her up at 7:00 A.M. She got up, grabbed a towel from from one of the boxes and took a shower.

Walking to work, Buffy closed her eyes and tilted her head to the morning sun, welcoming its warmth. She's liking the cool and dry weather of San Francisco more and more. The coffee shop was fifteen minutes away.

* * *

"Can I get you anything else?" Buffy smiled at the cute guy at the table. She's minutes away from the end of her 8-hour shift, just before the sun goes down. Perfect.

"Just a check, thanks." The guy replied with a smile.

_Cute but gay._ Buffy thought to herself as she went back to the counter. She grabbed her last order, five drinks on one tray.

"You sure, you got that?" Her male co-worker behind the counter with dreadlocks and thick goatee asked her. His tone was half-concerned, half-amused.

"In four months, have I ever spilled a drink?"

Just as she was crossing the aisle, a girl in a crochet dress tripped her.

"Ack!" Buffy screamed as everybody in the room gasped. She landed on her back, below the table of her destination. One of her was foot raised, holding the tray in place with all the drinks intact. "Ha!"

"You wanna grab those for me? Thanks." Buffy was still lying on her back, balancing the tray with her foot. The people hurriedly grabbed each of their drinks from the tray. Some folks across the room started to clap their hands.

"Lots of clumsy people in San Francisco." Buffy muttered under her breath, pouting. "All of them girls."

It's funny, it's just like high school all over again, Buffy mused. And life is like one big cafeteria where people trip over the outstretched foot of a bully. Only the bully here is life itself. Life kicks you when you're down, especially when you're down. Buffy's life anyway.

So, you got the popular kids, the jocks, the cheerleaders, the geeks, the average Joes and Janes, but here's the new addition, the Slayers. An up and coming all-girl crowd. First of all, Buffy was Slayer, way before it was even popular, oh yeah. Nothing can change that fact. Unless she died, and they didn't include her in the Slayer history books. Errr.

She was the Chosen One, she and Angel were given a whole new universe all to themselves. They were to start over, to give birth to a new better world order. Only she declined. How could she take the offer? If she had, her friends would have died along with the old world. For the new world to thrive, the old one must die. She swapped all that to stay here, and be this outcast in her own community. Ironic, isn't it? Story of her life.

Buffy has been to heaven and hell, and back. Doesn't that get any street cred around here? She's defeated The Master, The Mayor, The Trio, The First, the Hell God, the Dracula, the snaky monster thingy, the vampire with no soul, and pretty much the everything in between!

She's like the sole surviving ancestor of the Slayer lineage, hello? Other than Faith that is. Can't it buy her some well deserved, well earned R-E-S-P-E-C-T? Buffy pouted to herself.


	2. Chapter 2-Revised

Buffy changed her clothes before clocking out from her boring day job. She headed to the public park to watch the sun set. Another week has passed. Same old, same old shit. It was uneventful except for her tripping over someone's foot again, right on schedule. Different girl, same shit for brains, same circle. Ah, but the sun setting was a constant thing she truly enjoyed. Rummaging through her sling bag, she took out a wooden stake and went to work as soon as night fell.

Three bumpies. Buffy mentally tallied all the vamps she staked. A piercing scream broke the silence. She quietly walked toward a dark alley where it originated from. A male vampire was holding a young woman in the neck, gaping on her flesh while she flailed helplessly against his death grip. No pun intended.

"Hey! No means no, buddy." Buffy grabbed his collar and dragged him down to the ground. She turned to the woman. "Go. Run. As far as possible."

Rather than fleeing, the woman shrieked in her face, pointing at something behind her. Looking over her shoulders, Buffy felt something very fucking solid hit the back of her head, which is throbbing in pain now, rendering her unconscious. Buffy felt the cold ground assault the side of her face.

As the blond Slayer lay unconscious, the two vampires, by no means, didn't get away with it. And they didn't get a mere slap on the wrist either. Faith made sure of it. The former rogue Slayer charged them, launching herself in the air by stepping on a crate, gripping a stake in each hand. Landing atop one vamp, she jabbed his face with one stake, piercing the skull, and finished him off by stabbing his chest with another. As the vamp turned to dust, the wooden spike landed on the concrete with a thunk.

The other vamp made to run. Faith kicked the crate forward, coasting on the ground steadily. It knocked the vamp over who landed on his face. Like a predator Faith swiftly jumped on him. She stepped on his nape to hold him in place. She clamped his head with both hands, turning it in one complete revolution. Faith yanked his head off, like picking a fruit off a tree, briskly turning him to dirt. Faith dusted herself off.

Buffy slowly came to, something was shaking her violently.

"Wake up, B." Faith grabbed her waist, and wrapped her arm around her neck. "Should I take you to a clinic or something?"

Buffy took her arm back to rub her temples but remained leaning on Faith, still reeling from the pain. "You mean hospital."

"You wanna go to a hospital?"

"No. Just. Home. Take me home." Buffy suddenly recoiled from her, realizing that she hasn't spoken with her since Giles' funeral in London. "Faith. What are you doing here?"

"I heard you were in San Francisco, hippie." Faith was still holding her waist. "Must I really have a reason to see the Mother Slayer? You know you miss my pretty mouth." Faith flashed her famous dimples.

* * *

"Cozy. Love the iron bed." Faith scanned the blonde Slayer's room, bobbing her head. "Better than most rundown motels I've stayed in."

Buffy plopped her firm butt on the soft bed, feeling the back of her head, massaging her neck. "I'm gonna let that slide for now. Just moved in."

"Can I get you anything? Pain killers? Whiskey? Something."

"I'm fine. I'll sleep it off." Buffy gave a half-smile. "When did you get here?"

"This afternoon when you got off work." Faith sat beside her. "Oh, I was kinda stalking you. Just tryna get a view of how ya been, you know." And she witnessed how that girl tripped Buffy. Faith was aware of the status quo in the Slayer community, and she also knows what it's like to be misunderstood. Welcome to the club, B.

Buffy lifted an eyebrow. "Right. Just your typical run of the mill stalking."

"Exactly. Yeah." Faith agreed, not really knowing or caring that Buffy was being sarcastic.

"I felt something earlier. Figured it was the Slayers in the area. I guess that was you." Buffy lay herself across the exposed mattress. "You got anywhere else to go? You can stay here."

Faith walked over to the boxes, kneeling down one of them, rummaging through it.

"What are you doing with my box?" Buffy lifted her head.

"I'm trying to find you a bedcover, hippie." Faith snickered, showing off her cute dimples. Buffy felt her cheeks get warm as she blushed.

"I'm not a hippie. I'm just - lazy." Buffy sat up, pouting at her feet.

"The difference being?" Faith gave another chuckle but stopped short when she saw Buffy pouting, it distracted her. "Just kidding. Here we go."

Buffy slumped on the carpeted floor as Faith laid the bedcover on the mattress, tucking all the sides in. She dressed two pillows up and plopped them against the headboard.

Faith motioned to her. "Pillows and bed all dressed up, B. Come on." She helped the blonde Slayer to the bed.

After tucking Buffy in, Faith walked toward the door.

Buffy called out to her. "Where are you going?"

Faith spun around. "I was gonna sleep on your couch but you ain't got one, hippie."

"My bed is big. Big enough."

Faith cocked and her head and smiled. She removed her boots and walked back, sitting on the other side of the bed. "Your covers were all floral and shit."

"These are strawberries, Faith."

"Yeah. That's so much better." Faith snorted as she lay down beside Buffy whose back was turned. Without much ado, Faith put an arm over her. Buffy seemed fragile and she felt the need to protect her. Maybe it was pity or sympathy, whichever it was, holding her like this felt good.

Buffy moaned in appreciation. "Mmmm."

In the middle of the night, Buffy felt something warm over her breast, gently massaging it, flicking the nipple. Before she could help herself, she reached out for her throbbing center and started rubbing it. Soon, her body tensed. Arching her back, she held onto the bed and climaxed as her eyes fluttered open. Buffy gasped for air and plopped her head back down on the pillow. She closed her eyes, letting the wave of satisfaction lull her back to sleep. Faith seemed to be unaware and fast asleep, lightly snoring in between breaths.

Buffy woke up in the arms of the pretty brunette. Something about it felt familiar, like they've been sleeping in the same bed forever. It felt nice. Buffy bit her lower lip and smiled to herself remembering the naughty deed last night. She quickly grabbed her phone as it went off and pushed a button, looking over her to see if the alarm woke up anyone else. Faith merely rolled on her side.

* * *

Coming out of the shower, Buffy took her towel off and used it to dry her hair. Confident that Faith was asleep, she didn't think twice about getting butt naked in the room. Rummaging through the boxes she produced a pair of undergarments, a blouse and skirt. As she was putting her panties on, she turned around and saw Faith propped up on the headboard with a sly grin on her face. Buffy tripped and fell with a thud as she hurriedly placed one foot inside her panties.

Faith crawled to the edge of the bed."You okay, B?" Grinning like crazy, chin resting on her hands. "Sounded like a bad fall."

"Nope. I just hurt - my ass - is all." Buffy stood up, stroking her backside. "Ouchy."

"It's a good look. Au naturel or something."

Buffy was confused by the comment, until she looked down to see her breasts completely exposed. She blushed and grabbed them with both hands. "I guess, the alarm did wake you up, huh."

"The damn thing is a fucking menace, twinkie."

"Could you be more dramatic? Anywho, thanks for last night. That other vamp caught me off guard. There were two apparently." Buffy's face scrunched. "My head really hurt and my face."

"No shit. He hit you with a brick, B." Faith made her chuckle.

Buffy cleared her throat. "Did you, uhm, sleep okay last night?"

"Why did I miss anything?" Faith's expression was neutral, she appeared to be telling the truth. And then, she winked. All Buffy could do was stand there and blush.

"Your cheeks are red." Faith pointed to the naked Slayer. "It's cute."

Buffy instinctively reached for her face, exposing her breasts once more. Faith belted out a hearty laugh, forming her hands to look like she pushed a button on an invisible camera, taking a mental picture.

Buffy's hands went back down to her bosom, rambling in her explanation. "I didn't mean it. You molested me! And I, I didn't know I was doing it, till it was too late. It was subconscious, or unconscious. Oh god. But you! You were awake all along."

"Didn't wanna interrupt." Faith winked again, her dimples on full display. "Now, who do I have to kill to get some coffee around here?"

"I don't have coffee yet. On account of, you know, having just moved in. But if you come with me to work, I'll get you coffee and some bagels maybe?"

Faith cocked her head, looking amused at her semi-birthday suit. "Okay, blondie."

* * *

Faith frowned at the menu. "And all you got are eggs and breads - sandwiches, pastries. You have no burgers? Onion rings? Steaks?"

"It's not a diner, Faithy. It's a coffee shop." Buffy pointed at a section in the menu. "However, we are serving breakfast any time of the day." Her voice was an octave higher, sounding more like a commercial.

Faith smiled at Buffy's lame attempt at giving her a nickname. "Just bring me anything you know will fill me up, B. You know I eat like a beast." Buffy rolled her eyes.

Faith looked around, chuckling to herself. There are lots of gay guys in Fillmore. Not like it was surprising though considering where they were. Watching the blonde Slayer wait on tables, walking back and forth, cleaning up after people, Faith found herself checking out her butt and toned calves.

On one table, Buffy was gathering all the china to her tray, raising it above her head when a girl knocked it over from behind. But Faith was already on her feet. She caught the edge of the tray and balanced it back onto Buffy's hand. Running after the girl, Faith tackled her on the street and dragged her back in, dropping her in a pile at Buffy's feet.

"Apologize, punk." Faith commanded. "I swear I'll kick your ass."

"Faith. No." Buffy's tone was weary. "I don't want to fight my own girls."

The girl stood up and fixed her clothes, addressing Buffy. "We want you out of our town, traitor. You're no Mother Slayer of ours." The girl's face contorted with such contempt, spitting on the ground near Buffy's feet.

The two veteran Slayers shot her a deadpan look. Was she really threatening the Mother Slayer? Buffy could beat her and her friends up, on her own, eyes closed, hands tied behind her, with the lights out. You get the idea.

"It's not worth our time, Faithy. What are they gonna do next? Order and then forget to leave a tip? Seriously, they're just kids." Buffy rubbed her temples, disappointed at the girl who wouldn't have any Slayer power to begin with, if it weren't for the efforts of her and her friends. They almost died trying to make that happen, thinking it would change the world for the better for girls like her. And one of their friends did die, Anya. That's gratitude for ya.

The girl scoffed, tugging on the straps of her backpack, looking smug. Turning to leave, Faith blocked her way. "The Mother Slayer may be forgiving but I'm not. I don't want to see your face, or any of your buddies in here, you hear me?" Faith gesticulated, the volume of her voice steadily ascended, shouting the last words across the room. Looking over her shoulders, a couple of girls stood up and rushed out of there.

Faith's gaze went back to the girl in her face. "If you so much as look at the Mother Slayer, I will kick your ass. If you come within a hundred steps from this establishment, I will kick your ass. If you and your buddies got hungry and decided you wanted to eat here, guess what." Faith made out to say the last of her speech, her mouth gaped open when a tiny voice went off in place of hers.

"I will kick your ass." A six-year old girl shouted from the table beside them, finishing Faith's thought, giggling at them. Her mom swatted the little girl, shaking her head and mouthing a 'no' in the kid's direction.

"That's right, smartypants." Faith winked at the kid before turning back to the anonymous girl. "I'm gonna kick the living shit out of you and I'm gonna enjoy it. Just give me a reason, just one reason."

Buffy felt giddy at the sight. No one has stood up for her like that before. The vamps she dated, well, they'd be of no help in the day. And the other guys weren't quite at par with her strength and agility, but Faith was. Buffy was always the one looking after everybody. It's nice to be on the other end of the spectrum.

Before the mom could stop her, smartypants made a dash for it, charging the anonymous girl and kicking her in the shin.

"Ow that hurt." The anonymous girl yelped in pain, jerking her leg up, rubbing it with her hand. She left with her tails between her legs.

Smartypants gave Faith an adorable smile, giggling all the while, which Faith acknowledged with a gloriously dimpled grin. The pair high-fived, proud of their accomplishment of sorts. Buffy thought it was the cutest, sweetest, most precious thing in the world.

Faith took smartypants back to her mom. "She's gonna do a lot of ass-kicking when she grows up a wee bit more. Be patient with her, she's gonna be a handful, even more than blondie here." The mom gave a bewildered smile. Faith caught Buffy's eye, they smiled knowingly. Smartypants is one of them, a baby slayer. They can feel her energy humming in the same frequency as theirs.

"A wee bit more?" Buffy gave her a sarcastic smile. "You've been in England too long."

Faith smiled back, doing a British accent. "Just wee bit more, laddy. Now eat your crumpet."

Buffy let out a hearty laugh.


	3. Chapter 3-Revised

"Where'd he go? Do you think he went inside?" Buffy motioned to a rundown warehouse ahead, stake in hand. She's wearing a loose printed shirt, cutoffs and pink high-cut chucks.

"I'm sorry. I'm just totally thrown off by the cutoffs. And the Sonic Youth shirt? Whattup with the getup, B?" Faith brushed the back of her hand on her chin, stifling a chuckle.

"It's not as cold here compared to Sunnydale, so I can wear less. What, you don't like?"

"No, don't get me wrong, I approve. It's boho, it's punk, but what do you know, it's still you. Girly and shit with the pink chucks and all. City's doing you good, blondie."

"I like your getup too." Buffy smiled but kept her eyes on the warehouse. Faith was wearing a black tank top tucked inside her high-waisted skinny jeans and doc martens. "Still edgy but more mature. I like it. It's a great look on you."

Faith ran a hand through her hair. She was sweating lightly, still adjusting to the warm climate. "Thanks, twinkie. You're right though, it's warmer here."

"Mother Slayer." Buffy muttered under her breath.

"What was that?"

"Nothing. I remember how you first called me 'Mother Slayer' as a joke, till it caught on."

"You practically gave birth to all the slayers, B. It was your idea to activate them."

"Now, I'm a proud mom of 1,800 slayers. 500 of whom was under my command in Scotland. As the rest try to run me out of town."

"They grow up so fast."

Buffy cracked up, laughing back at Faith who flashed her a dimpled grin. No one can really make her laugh quite like Faith. Come to think of it, she's never had a funny friend or lover that made her laugh like Faith. Xander didn't even come close. On the other hand, most of her exes were serious, mysterious and brooding. Hiding a checkered past or a secret army facility. Ridiculous.

Buffy paused so Faith could catch up. "The two of us, we're the only remaining Slayers called in the traditional sense. The sole living ancestors of the Slayer lineage."

"Right. And you're Mother. Although, you did die - twice, which got me called. So technically I'm Mother, which makes you Grandma Slayer."

"Faithy, everybody agreed that we're both Mother Slayers, Parent Slayers, except you."

"Don't like labels. But we are the last of our kind, you're right. We had a Watcher, one for each Slayer, not one is to one squad like our girls now. And way better training."

"And more experience with monsters and ghouls. It makes me sad that they couldn't have what we had. That I couldn't give it to them." Buffy's lips formed a pout. "And I don't want to be called grandma."

"Cheer up, grandma. We'll help them. Any way we can. Or die trying."

Buffy's glared at her. "I resent the grandma part."

They continued walking toward the warehouse. Stepping inside, it was pitch black. Buffy fumbled in the dark, her hands outstretched. She stopped moving forward and took a step back, tripping over Faith's foot. Faith instinctively wrapped an arm around Buffy's waist to keep her from getting out of balance. Their bodies pressed together.

"We should fall back. We don't know what's in here." Buffy's voice echoed just as halogen light bulbs flickered on overhead, blinding them momentarily. They shielded their eyes with their arms. As soon as they got used to the brightness, they spotted six big nasty vampires surrounding them.

"Can I still take you up on that offer?" Faith deadpanned, holding her from behind.

Two vampires lunged as they separate. Buffy ducked under the demon. She karate chopped his nape and struck him with a knee. The vamp hit the ground hard, leaving a tiny window open for Buffy to stake him in the back.

Faith gets tackled, hitting the ground with a loud thud. She used the momentum to throw the demon over her head. Recovering quickly, she resumed her stance. So did the vamp now lunging at her again. Another one grabbed her from behind. From that position she kicked the incoming vamp in the head. Elbowing the one behind her, she grabbed his hand, took it all the way back before breaking it. Faith stabbed the demon in the back as well.

Opening up another can of whoop ass on the remaining vamps, they finally killed all of them. Buffy was so fired up, she attacked Faith when she crept from behind, pinning her against the wall.

"Whoah, grandma. It's me Faithy, remember?"

"I told you, stop calling me that." Buffy pressed harder against Faith, their faces an inch apart. The energy emanating from them, left over from the fight, was too much. There was something else too, a different kind of tension. She looked Faith in the eyes, and felt herself longing for a connection, tired of cutting herself off from the world that didn't care or understand. Only Faith knows what a lonesome life a slayer has. Not the vamps or the other guys she dated. Leaning in, she kissed the brunette.

Buffy tore herself away, one hand over her mouth. "I'm such a freak for doing that. I'm sorry."

"I'm not." Faith pulled her back and they resumed kissing. Her hands traveled all over Buffy's body, groping her breast, and her ass. Buffy whimpered at every touch.

Her mouth wanted to explore every inch of Buffy's body. Every nook, every crevice. Faith pulled her shirt up over her head, throwing it behind them. She went to work on Buffy's breasts. Getting rid of the bra, Faith placed her mouth over the fleshy mound, sucking fervently like her life depended on it. Her tongue stroked the nipple angrily, sending a strong jolt at Buffy's throbbing clit as a loud cry escaped her lips.

Faith took off her pants before kneeling down, undoing Buffy's shorts and sliding it down to her feet along with her panties. She pulled Buffy closer to her mouth, inserting her tongue between the folds. Faith's tongue was furious, lapping up all of Buffy's warm juices. The sensation drove the blond crazy. She wanted more, she wanted release. She reached for her breasts and started shaking them fiercely, in tune with Faith's tongue.

Buffy grunted in protest for losing the tongue inside her when Faith pulled her down, and lay her gently on the cold warehouse floor. She took off Faith's tank top and bra at a blinding speed, all the while sucking on her tongue. Not to be outdone, Buffy rolled her over, coming up on top. She trailed kisses all the way down to Faith's inner thighs where she licked an invisible icing. Turning her attention on her shaved pussy, Buffy's tongue explored her wet folds. She played with Faith's swollen clit, prompting a loud moan from Faith.

"Fuck. Just like thaaat." Faith was gyrating. She cupped her breasts and shook them up and down, moaning all the way to climax. But Buffy didn't stop eating her. She kept going, pushing Faith over the edge. The brunette jerked violently as the second orgasm washed over her. Buffy trailed kisses from her clit, to her navel, and up to her lips, lying on top of Faith's heaving chest. Their nakedness kept them warm from the cold surrounding.

"Oh man, oh man, where'd you ever learn to fuck like that, B?"

Buffy briefly looked up, gleam in her eyes. "I watch porn too, you know."

"Of course you do, blondie. And you know what they say, the show's not over till the blond lady sings."

Faith rolled her over, pinning her hands above her head. "And I'm gonna make you sing, blondie." The brunette sported an evil grin.

Faith went to work on Buffy's throbbing clit, flicking it with her tongue. Then she took two fingers and thrust them inside Buffy's warm hole, moving them in a circular motion. Faith knew moving it this way was so much better than just thrusting in and out. And she was right. Buffy was yelling on top of her lungs, pleading for her not to stop, her hips bucking wildly.

Buffy arched her back, nearing her release. Her body shook as she reached her climax. Faith's tongue still played with Buffy's clit and her fingers still moved inside her, as if reaching for something. A spot that cradled sensitive nerve endings. And when the right amount of pressure is applied - Buffy let out a shriek as the next orgasm imploded, enveloping her entire being.

Faith lay beside her, taking her in her arms. They just lay there without saying a word, eyes closed. Both were jaded but it was a good kind of jaded. Faith started to hum a tune, singing a line.

_"All I want is to feel this way  
To be this close  
To feel the same  
All I want is to feel this way  
The evening speaks  
F__eel it say..."_

Buffy smiled against her skin. She never knew Faith could sing and has never heard her do it. Her voice was beautiful. It was husky and low, soulful and tinged with melancholy, but beautiful.


	4. Chapter 4

Buffy woke up with a start, dressed in her usual nightwear, panties and an oversized shirt. She silenced her wailing phone in one nasty click. Plopping back down on the pillow, she felt like something was missing. There was no arm around her. She checked the bathroom, opened the front and back door of the apartment, but there was no sign of Faith. It's been a month since the brunette showed up, and no, Buffy hasn't told anybody about their thing. Where would she even start? By the way, Faith is my not-girlfriend in a not-relationship. That's just sad.

Buffy dragged herself to the shower and got dressed for work, all the while nursing angry thoughts about Faith. She always took off without a word, turning Buffy into this needy person. Damn those dimples, she thought, walking to work. They really did her in. But she knows only too well it wasn't the dimples, not entirely.

* * *

Buffy suppressed a yawn, smiling at one of the patrons while pouring him coffee. An old guy who was relatively nice, except for his occasional glance at her backside. The glass door opened. Buffy didn't bother looking up as some customer entered. She was walking back to the counter, coffee pot in hand when-

"Hey blondie. Got milk?" Faith knew how to get Buffy's attention - by getting on her nerves.

Buffy froze, torn between two feelings: relieved to hear Faith's voice, and infuriated for her showing up like nothing happened. Where did she go this time? She waltzed in there, looking smug in one of her dimpled grins. She always acted like Buffy owed her the time of day when she didn't bother giving her any, to let her know where she was.

When Buffy didn't stir, Faith tried again. "Hey, about this morning, I kinda had to leave early. Got business that needed taking care of."

That was as close to an apology Buffy was gonna get. She faced the brunette, appearing distant and uninterested. Careful not to look Faith in the eyes, in case her own betray her true feelings, Buffy focused on the floor. "It's fine, don't worry about it. Didn't even notice you left. I just went to work."

"Buffy..." Faith called her by her full name, a rare occasion. Like that's gonna help her case, although Buffy loved hearing it.

"I gotta get back to work. Lots of people need their frapps and mochaccinos..."

Faith looked sideways. There was barely any customers around. She wanted to quip something witty but didn't want to push her luck. She bit her tongue and took a seat near Buffy. "Can I at least get something to eat? I'm starving, B."

The blonde Slayer put the coffee pot down and made a show of crossing her arms.

Faith was undeterred, not one to accept defeat. She leaned back in her chair, making herself more comfortable. "Can we go some place to talk? Isn't it your break already?"

"I'm not on your time, Faith. You can't just have me when it's convenient for you. And then forget about me when it's not."

Faith heaved a big sigh, trying not to lose her cool. "Your call, twinkie." She sprang from her seat and left.

Faith didn't go very far. She monitored the coffee shop from a distance, watching out for kiddie Slayers who might be cooking up some mischief. They knew what Faith looked like by now, and the mere sight of her would scare them off easy. If not, they'd certainly feel her presence like chills up their spines. She can project her energy half a mile wide, on command, or suppress it. That should be enough to repel any attempts.

Finally, Buffy's shift was up. She exited through the back door, in an alley. Faith approached her from behind, flicking a cigarette butt on the ground.

"Faith." Buffy turned around, as she rummaged through her sling bag. "You're stalking me again."

"Some might call it that."

"What do you want from me?" Buffy threw her hands up. She was fed up with their arrangement. It was a loaded question more than Faith realized. Naturally, she didn't.

"Could you at least hear me out? I've been waiting out here, starving. Don't feel special or anything, okay..." Faith overcompensated. She didn't want to sound like she cared for Buffy more than she was letting on.

"No, you took care of that this morning. Taking off without a word. And all the times before that."

Faith ran a hand through her hair. In typical Faith fashion, she didn't bother explaining. "Here." She handed Buffy an envelope. "That's the real reason I came to San Francisco." Buffy's eyes widened at the check inside and the amount it was written for.

"We have sex, and now, you're giving me money. I should have seen this coming."

Faith stifled a chuckle, shoving her hands in her back pocket. "Look, maybe I should just move along now. I think, I think I'm making things complicated by staying, B. I told the girls in London Squad I'd only be gone for a week tops. I'm kinda worried, about my motorcycle mostly. I left it in Kennedy's care."

Buffy started to sob, wiping her nose. Her face scrunched and her body shook involuntarily. Faith instinctively wrapped her arms around her, placing a loving kiss on her forehead. Buffy hugged her back. She tilted her head and kissed Faith, it was slow and longing. The unspoken passion between them was uncanny. Coming home, they were in a rush to get each other naked. The two snuggled up after one steamy session waiting for nightfall.

"You've been renting out Giles' flat in London, and you're giving me half a year's rent?" Buffy lay on top of Faith, eyes closed. Her head was cradled below Faith's neck.

"The last of what the tenant owed me just got in today." Faith added, "The other half I used for London Squad."

"That's real nice of you. You didn't have to but thanks. How are things back there?"

"Why don't you just ask me straight up what I think you're asking me?" Faith sounded more jealous than what she intended. She was going for a playful banter. But there was something in the pit of her stomach tempting to blow up when she thinks about Buffy and Angel together.

Buffy shot her a confused look. Her eyes widened when she realized. "Oh, you mean Angel. I wasn't, you know, really, swear."

Rumor has it, Angel was also staying in England, rehabilitating after the Twilight incident when he broke Giles' neck like a twig. He also squared off with Buffy, trying to prevent her from breaking the Seed of Wonder albeit he was possessed at the time.

Buffy dropped the subject, swallowing a lump in her throat. Giles' passing still pained her to this day. "What did you do the rest of the day?" Buffy's voice was sweet now, giving her a kiss on the neck.

"I went back here from the bank and slept, till I got hungry." Faith stroked her golden locks lovingly. "I'm sorry for making you cry. Didn't mean to."

Buffy raised her head with a surprised look on her face. "That's a first."

Faith smiled, her dimples showing at the tiniest of facial movement. "And you're getting exclusive preview, blondie. One night only."

"It's just emotionally exhausting sometimes."

"What is?"

"You is what. You go where you want, when you want to. You treat me like I'm nobody important, just another lay."

"That's not true, B." Faith answered simply, not wanting to open a can of worms.

"Then how come you don't ever tell me where you go? You don't bother at all. It's common courtesy, you know." Buffy knew it was more than just about courtesy. But she didn't want to ruin what they have, whatever it was, by acting like a clingy girlfriend.

"All right, okay, I'll reform." Faith felt her smile against her skin.

"While we're on the subject of reform, could you try and help me clean up here, or take the trash out when it's full? I come home from work, and your dirty clothes are everywhere, there are towels on the floor, dirty dishes in the sink..."

Faith snored loudly in response.

"Faith Lehane, you are not asleep. I know you can hear me."

Faith chuckled in her pretend sleep, still not opening her eyes. All Buffy could do was groan in frustration. Well, at least they got one issue checked off the list.

* * *

The next day was Buffy's day off, and she convinced Faith to come with her to visit her sister. Along the way there was a yard sale, Buffy dragged an unwilling Faith to it. While she checked out some pots and pans, Faith managed to slip out. She looked around for her when she saw a piano from behind, and somebody was playing a beautiful piece, sad but beautiful. Without lyrics, just the music alone was overwhelmingly melancholic. Yet it drew you in. Walking up to the piano, Buffy was in for the shock of her life.

_"Can't you see?  
It's not me you're dying for  
Now, she's feeling more alone...  
T__han she ever has before  
She's a brick and I'm drowning slowly  
Off the coast and I'm headed nowhere  
She's a brick and I'm drowning slowly..."_

Faith's eyes were closed. Her performance was starting to draw up a crowd.

Buffy couldn't take her eyes off the brunette. Her heart just skipped a beat, or did it start to race? It's not the same Faith. This one sounded vulnerable and not emotionally cut off. For the first time, Buffy could see through her. Faith was pouring out her heart and soul, which sounded fragile and full of loneliness. But it didn't take from the beauty of it. Buffy stopped in front of her. "Is that what you think of me, a brick that drowns you slowly?" She quipped, her pout becoming obvious.

Faith chuckled, closing the piano cover. Stroking her chin, appearing to be lost in thought, she made Buffy pout even more. "You may be a brick but you're my brick, B. The only brick I want... to drown me slowly."

Buffy came around the piano. She playfully nudged Faith albeit she found her sweet, oddly enough. Faith got her at 'the only brick I want.'

"How much? Can we afford it?" She talked like they were a legitimate couple now, budgeting and buying things together for their apartment.

Faith tapped the piano, making a face. "No. She's asking 500. I'm trying to haggle."

The owner appeared from behind. A nice woman in her early fifties, very eager and friendly, only she doesn't budge easily. "So, you've made up your mind? You'll take it?"

Faith took Buffy's hand in hers. "200 and we'll take it home, right now."

"Ooh, I just can't do 200. It's a Wurlitzer. They don't make acoustic pianos no more. It's in excellent condition, still sounds nice as you already know. Looks good too, needs no repair. 500 is already a bargain."

Faith looking disappointed was quickly replaced with an indifferent facade. "Well, I guess we'll just take some pots and pans for the meantime."

"I have a guitar and trumpets." The woman smiled at her. "30 bucks for the guitar, 50 for the trumpet. If no one has bought them already."

"Oh, oh, we'll take the guitar." Buffy almost squealed at them. "It's easier to carry."

Faith cocked her head and returned the owner's smile. "20 and I'll take it."

"25." The woman extended her hand.

"All right, you got me lady. Just take my money already." Faith accepted and they shook on it.

They reached Xander and Dawn's apartment, stopping by the door. Buffy turned to Faith before knocking, batting her eyelashes. She was completely enamored at the mysterious dark-haired beauty who makes her heart thump with such an enigmatic vulnerability hidden under all that tough girl act. "Thanks again for paying." She motioned to the skillet she's holding.

Faith made to pull her closer to give the blonde slayer a kiss when the door opened.

"Parent Slayers at my door, what an honor." Xander cheerfully greeted them, his one good eye darted between Faith and Buffy's hand. "Guitar and skillet, oh you shouldn't have."

The two Slayers suddenly realized they were still holding hands, and quickly jerked them away. Xander didn't seem to notice as he sidestepped to let them in. Inside, Dawn received them both with hugs.

"When I first heard about you and Xander, I was like, eew." Faith looked over Buffy whose eyes bugged out. "What? It's just weird, is all. You know I deflowered him, right?"

Surprisingly, Dawn laughed at her. "Yeah, I heard about that."

"Classic Faith. Ha." Xander choked on a laugh, clasping his hands together. "Okay then, while they bond over deflowering me, Buff? Help me out." He pointed to the kitchen with an open hand.

"Gladly." Buffy followed him.

After lunch, Dawn and Faith hang out in the living room while Buffy and Xander clean up.

"What's with the guitar, Ricky Martin?" Dawn ran her fingers across the neck of the guitar leaning beside the couch. The strings reverberated, occupying the room with their sound.

"Ricky Martin didn't play a guitar, Dawnie. I think." Faith was slouching, her arms behind her head."We passed by a yard sale on the way over. Got it for 25 bucks."

"Can you play something?"

"Not on your lifetime."

"Oh come on, just one song." Buffy emerged from the kitchen with Xander trailing behind. "We did wash the dishes."

"So I owe you a song?" Faith sneered at them.

"What, you've never heard of that? Which planet are you from, weirdo?" Xander chimed in pulling up a chair as Buffy sat on the arm of the couch, close to Faith.

Faith crossed her arms, scanning their faces, not wanting to budge but Buffy was pouting. She threw her hands up. "Fine. Your turf, your stupid rules."

_"You've got your ball  
__You've got your chain  
Tied to me tight  
Tie me up again  
Who's got their claws in you, my friend?  
Into your heart  
I'll beat again  
Sweet like candy to my soul  
Sweet you rock  
And sweet you roll  
Lost for you  
I'm so... lost for you  
Oh, and you come crash... into me  
And I come into... you..."__  
_

Once again, the blonde slayer was mesmerized, as if in a trance. She slid down from the arm of the couch, settling close to Faith. Buffy caressed the singer's back. Xander eyed his best friend closely. Dawn raised an eyebrow. Upon finishing the song, they applauded the brunette, hooting and whistling, shouting for more.

"Oh no. No encore." Faith propped the guitar against the coffee table. "The next song's gonna cost ya."

"Faith, you should, like, do that for a living." Dawn was rightly impressed. She held her hands together at the side of her face, fawning at Faith. "Serenading the masses with your soulful voice."

The brunette responded with a chortle.

Serenading the masses would of course include girls. A thought not welcomed by Buffy. "No, she can't. I mean, she's a Slayer. Her duty is to the world first, killing vamps. A-and serenading masses, should be like, way, way down the list, right? Guys?"

The group gave Buffy an amused look. Buffy pouted back at them, sinking back on the couch.

Xander and Dawn decided to go patrol with the Parent Slayers, missing the old days when the Scooby Gang got together on a night like this. They bought pizza for dinner, to eat at the park while waiting for nightfall. The group sat on the grass.

"So how long you guys been going out?" Xander asked casually, lifting a slice to his mouth.

Buffy opened her mouth to speak. No words came out. She started blushing, turning to Faith for help who just chuckled and shrugged it off.

"You didn't think we'd notice? A monkey would notice, Buff." Xander gesticulated at them.

"Matching shoes, holding hands by the door - Xander told me, winking and whispering at each other, caressing each other's back?" Dawn crossed her arms, one brow raised.

The two Slayers stole a look at their shoes at the exact same time. Buffy had a tie-dyed frock on and yellow oxfords, while Faith wore a plaid shirt over Bermuda shorts and nude oxfords.

"We're not really into labels. We're in San Francisco, home of the 60s. Free love, man. But we're together." Buffy explained, before grimacing at Faith. "Aren't we?"

"We're both adults we can handle it." Faith smoothed her dark brown locks.

Xander and Dawn looked at each other, unconvinced.

"Not Buffy." Xander quipped.

"What? I'm an adult. I got a job to prove it." Buffy retorted. The three shot her a deadpan look. "Not what you meant, huh?"

"Indeed you are, Buff." Xander turned to Faith. "She's all about relationships and exclusivity. She's that kind of adult, Faith."

"Yeah, what about Spike?" Faith remarked bitterly.

"What about him?" Buffy was beginning to pout.

"You slept with him and he loved you. But you never loved him back. He was heartbroken until the day he died in the hellmouth." Faith picked on the grass, trailing off. "I don't wanna end up like him."

Xander and Dawn's eyes darted between them.

"So you make yourself emotionally closed off? That's how you deal with it?" Buffy gesticulated, getting flustered. "At least I try. I treat you like I would my old boyfriends. But you, you treat me like I'm nobody. Disappearing in odd hours, meanwhile, I'm left wondering, worried about you. But do you care to inform me about your activities? Hell to the no."

Buffy took a breather. "You think it's easy being with you? Never knowing if one day you'll skip town for good. 'Sorry changed my mind. Gotta go 'cause that's how I roll, B.'" Buffy mimicked Faith's husky voice, making a show of acting out her gestures.

Faith put her knees up, hugging them. "You'll always be Angel's girl, Buffy. I can't compete with him, no one can. It's a bitter pill to swallow but hey, I'm still here, I can take it."

"That's your definition of love, just some bitter pill to swallow?"

Faith placed a hand on her bosom. "Hey, I'm not the one who leaves behind a trail of broken hearts, B."

Buffy propped her hands on the ground, standing up, she took on her heels. Faith was hot on her tail. Xander and Dawn could have been holding a popcorn. Instead, they gnawed at their pizza absentmindedly, enjoying the show.

"Buffy, come on. Don't walk away. Not now." Faith grabbed her wrist and spun her around, catching her by the waist. Buffy tried to break free, nudging and hitting her, but Faith didn't let go. "I don't know much about relationships, Buffy. But I really like what we have. And I don't wanna be anywhere else than here, now, with you. That much I do know. It's all I know."

"Damn you, Lehane." Buffy lightly nudged her with her fist, defeated. "There are just two things you're good at, you know that? Getting on my nerves and..."

"Fucking?"

"Saying the right things at the right time." Buffy rolled her eyes. She quickly regretted speaking too soon. "Or not."

Faith leaned down to kiss her, but Buffy dodged her advances.

"We're both taking a chance at each other, and I wanna make it work. Do you?" Buffy's green eyes held her brown gaze.

"I do. Honest. I'll change. I'll do anything you tell me from now on." Faith kissed her cheek.

"Anything?"

"Except clean the house." Faith added quickly before snatching Buffy's lips. The blonde Slayer groaned in the kiss.


	5. Chapter 5

"Honey I'm home!" Buffy called out to her girlfriend, swinging the apartment door closed. "To a really messy apartment." She assumed Faith was at the patio. The path leading up to the back door trailed with articles of dirty clothing, an empty soda can and potato chip bag, which she was picking up one by one.

"Honey?" Buffy called out again, stepping out where Faith usually goes to smoke, no sign of her there. She checked her phone for any messages, none. "Can't teach old dogs new tricks."

Buffy opened her call logs and scrolled over to her girlfriend's number. Faith's phone was ringing, shortly before the line went dead. "What the hell? She did not just hang up on me."

* * *

Buffy's alarm went off like every morning, and Faith wanted nothing more than crush the phone with her bare hands, but she knew how important this job is to her girlfriend. It always woke her up before Buffy who was quite the heavy sleeper. She pressed hard on the off-button till its light went out. It's the closest thing she could do in dealing some damage on the phone. "Buffy, wake up. Honey."

Faith rolled Buffy over, reaching under her shirt, groping for her breast. The brunette loved touching Buffy's boobs, when she goes to sleep and when she wakes up, almost like a security blanket, oddly enough it was the one thing that could wake Buffy up. The mattress shook a little as Buffy rose from bed. Forty five minutes later, Faith felt something brush her cheek.

"Made you breakfast, it's in the oven." Buffy gave her another peck.

Faith grabbed her arm, flashing her usual dimpled smile, before opening her eyes. "I'm gonna need more sugar than that, honeybee."

Buffy climbed onto bed and straddled her, giving her a longer kiss. "Anything new with the kiddies?"

Faith closed her eyes again, soaking in the fragrance of a just-showered Buffy with her apple-scented shampoo. "Not much. They hang out, talk about you, they train a little, go to book shops, when they're not working. But lately they've become more organized. I think they're waiting for a package to arrive or a person."

"You're gonna go stalky on them again later?"

"Yep. I have to. You don't think there's a real threat but... I gotta do this. I feel a big break coming on soon."

"My hero." Buffy gave her some more sugar. "Just try and keep me in the loop, okay?"

Faith started chuckling, propping her arm up on her forehead.

Buffy pinned Faith's arms down beside her head, holding her gaze. "Honey. One text. It's all I'm asking." Faith paused, only to go all out laughing.

"I am not asking for a lot, Lehane." Buffy nudged her in the side. "No more sugar if you don't stop laughing. Promise me."

Faith tried to keep a straight face, pursing her lips to stifle the chuckles. She cupped Buffy's face in her hands for one more kiss. "Girl Scout's honor."

Faith dozed off after Buffy left. An hour later she finally got out of bed, eating the bacon, eggs and garlic toast her girlfriend made for her while watching Spongebob Squarepants on TV. It's those little things that make Buffy endearing. Learning to make garlic toast with olive oil and fresh garlic rubbed on bread, just because Faith once said how much she loved it. On special occasions, she even makes waffles.

Coming out of the shower, Faith shuffled through her shirts in the closet, loving the smell of fresh clothes. She never runs out of clothes nowadays, good thing Buffy does their laundry regularly, apart from trying to keep the place immaculate, operative word is try. Faith can be real messy when left alone, like a five year old. She's had so many run-ins with the neat freak that would have turned into a full scale war, if not for her quick mouth and hands.

Faith donned long sleeves, Bermuda shorts, nude oxfords, and a cap over her wavy locks. After taking care of the bills - rent money from London's keeping her afloat these days, Faith headed to her real mission.

One of the girls Faith has been following exited a book shop. For months now, she has been spying on the kiddie Slayers, keeping tabs on their activities, trying to figure out what's the deal with them, or if they're planning anything big against her girlfriend.

The girl went to her apartment, looking over her shoulder, seeing there was no one on either sides of the corridor, disappeared inside. Minutes later, she came out with two of her friends and went to a nearby diner. They sat in a booth as Faith walked alongside a group of teenagers looking for a table, for cover, sitting down in the booth behind the girls.

The blonde Girl was talking. "She's on her way right now. Called on the way over."

The red-haired girl asked. "Is she bringing her crew?"

"No, genius, just her. She's recruiting remember? We're gonna help her anyway we can. She's integral in the grand scheme of things, the only one who would get us through to the second half of our vision."

The Asian girl reminded them. "We meet her at sundown. Union Iron Works, down Central Basin, you know, the old shipyard. Let's not make her wait." The rest of the girls merely nodded in agreement.

Vision? Grand scheme of things? Faith thought to herself. Shit is getting heavy. They're starting to sound like one of those cults. They're meeting somebody to help them fulfill their vision or some shit like that. What in hell? And integral, really? Who the hell talks like that?

Faith jumped at her phone ringing loudly, forgetting to put it on silent. Rule number one in spying, don't be fucking conspicuous. The kiddies Slayers turned their heads toward her booth.

"This better be important." Faith took the call outside.

"You sound grumpy. Is it morning there?" The girl on the other line had a thick British accent.

"Hey babe, nope. It's afternoon. What'cha doing?"

"Patrolling. It's only eight o'clock p.m. here. Not much vamps yet."

"Got 'em running for cover, huh."

The girl sighed, pausing for a breath. "Did you miss me, Faith?"

"Why so serious babe? Come on now."

"I knew from the moment you said, you were going to see her. Did I ever tell you? I have anticipated it all along. I knew she would break us apart."

"We're really having this conversation."

"How could I ever compete with her? I'm not trying to, you see."

"There's no need to compete, Anne Marie."

"Because I could never win?"

"Not what I meant."

"I saw the way you talk about her. Your eyes light up at the mere mention of her name. And there's wee bit more glow in your smile. She's got you wrapped around her fingers."

"And I got you wrapped in mine. See how it works?"

"I really am sorry for making your life so complicated, Faith."

"You know I'm beginning to talk like you more and more, d'you know that? I'm using words like wee bit and shit." Faith chuckled, trying to lighten up the conversation.

The girl continued with her thought. "Do you wanna know why? Why I'm holding on? Why I begged you not to leave me? Do I seem ridiculous?"

The phone Faith held to her ear started to vibrate. Looking at the screen, the face of a sleeping Buffy came on. She automatically pressed the red button, hanging up that call. She then slapped a palm to her forehead realizing what she had done. There will be hell to pay for that.

"Hold that thought, babe. Give me a sec, okay. Just one sec." Faith sent a message to Buffy - hot on kiddies tail, can't take calls.

"Babe?" Faith went back to Ann Marie, she could hear her sobbing.

"I know you'll come back to me, Faith. I know it. She will break your heart. That is what she does. She's a black belt at breaking hearts, Faith. Then, you'll see. You'll see I was right all along, holding on to us, like I do."

Faith coudn't think of anything else to make her stop crying, "I miss you Anne Marie."

"I miss you too."

"And my pretty mouth?"

"Just your pretty mouth really."

The two shared a laugh. It worked. She stopped crying.

"Is she a better kisser?"

"You're spending money on this call to just talk about her?"

"No, of course not. I'm sorry. Anywho, I'm a far better cook and you know it. You miss my cooking?"

"Like the night misses the day, babe. So - how's my other baby?"

"All is well with the motorcycle. Don't you trust me?"

"With my life, babe."

"I love you, Faith." The girl on the other line gave her a kiss.

"I love you too, babe."

The kiddies finished their meal and headed back to the apartment. Faith decided to stay behind to finish her late lunch and go straight to the meeting place before sundown.

Arriving at the Union Iron Works, south of downtown, Faith waited for the girls. After an hour, there was still no sign of them and the place had gotten dark. Faith carefully walked back the way she came when a monstrous cry filled the air. While looking around for zompires, she got attacked from behind.

Faith killed the beast, but as the dust cleared out, five more were charging her. That's when she ran. But the zompires, on all fours, were gaining on her fast. There was barely any place to hide here, it was one open space, fucking great, she muttered. Faith turned around and faced them, better sooner than later when they knock me flat on my ass. She was gearing for some serious throwdown with five zompires when out of nowhere, four girls appeared, a pink-haired one and the other three she has been spying on, coming to her rescue. One zompire lunged at her, as the remaining four got their fight on with the girls.

The dust settled, and the four of them looked at Faith. Do they recognize her? Have they figured out that she's been spying on them? Why aren't they talking?

"Are you okay?" Simone broke the ice. Her voice full of concern.

Faith dusted herself off, looking around her. "Yeah. Thanks. I owe you guys one, make that four."

"You shouldn't be patrolling alone, not with the zompires out, Faith. They're multiplying at great speed."

"You know my name."

"I know your story."

"And I know yours. Pink mohawk. Piercings. Waywardly air about ya. Simone the rogue Slayer. Rogue Slayers, all of you."

Simone shook her head. "No, Faith. We're not rogue. Just misunderstood, like you were when you started out. You remember how that's like?"

Simone continued with a pained expression. "You try so hard, but it's never enough. People already got you pegged even before they've met you, or gotten to know you. They've already made up their minds about you. You're evil or wayward, and they've decided, it's all you'll ever amount to."

Simone hit a nerve but Faith just shrugged it off, not wanting to show how much she hit home. Yet everything this chick said felt so fucking familiar. It broke her heart, hearing Simone say those words. Words that once belonged to her, words that filled her heart like a prayer. Nobody understood, nobody knew what it was like. Faith started to question everything she was told about the rogue Slayers, Simone in particular. She was overcome with the desire to protect them.

* * *

Faith came home after patrolling with Simone and the girls. She debated whether to tell Buffy about it. Maybe she could tell parts of it? Simone suggested she shouldn't - any of it. The thing was, Faith had a great time with them, with her. They went to Lucky 13 Bar down Market Street after slaying vamps and zompires to celebrate. It felt like the pink-haired roguge was her kindred spirit. They seemed to be on the same wavelength about everything. Faith still has this buzz in her gut, something she hasn't felt in a long time, the joy of the hunt and the kill.

Faith took her clothes off and climbed to bed, cuddling up to Buffy, giving her a kiss in the nape, groping for her breast.

Buffy propped herself up, turning a light on. "Jesus Christ, Faith you reek of the goddamn brewery."

Faith groaned and rolled over to the other side, hugging the covers tight, not really in any mood to fight, or to be moving around this much. She wanted it to be tomorrow already, and just skip this part. How she wished she had Adam Sandler's remote control right now.

"You come home drunk at 3 A.M. No texts, no calls and no explanation whatsoever." Buffy hit her with a pillow, which she did not appreciate at all. "You knew this was gonna happen, you knew I was gonna sound off. Sometimes I wonder about your skills in decision-making, Faith, because tonight you could've gone home late not drunk, knowing this would happen. It wouldn't make it okay, but it sure as hell would make me less pissed."

"I'm sorry I forgot to call or text." Faith's head was swimming, and Buffy's nagging wasn't making it any better. She tried to end it as early as possible.

Buffy rubbed her temples. "Faith, you are not taking me seriously."

The bed jiggled as Buffy got out of bed. She went to the closet, grabbed a jacket, and put some pants on. She sat on the edge of the bed, holding back tears from her eyes. She was tired of Faith making a joke of everything including their relationship. How long does she have to put up with it? She'd do anything if it would make Faith happy, but Faith wouldn't even compromise.

Buffy inhaled deeply, letting air go from her lungs once more. She put her sling bag on and walked out the door. Faith wasn't sure what just transpired. She was still trying to stop the room from spinning inside her head.

Faith slept the good part of the day. She woke up with a massive headache and an empty stomach. She went to the bathroom for some aspirins, downing the four tablets that landed on her palm with water from the tap. Faith went back to bed, sleeping well into the night.

Waking up at around 9 P.M. she reached out for Buffy but her side was empty. Her stomach growled at her. She groped for her phone under the pillow, squinting at the screen, trying her girlfriend's number. It was ringing but Buffy didn't answer. She tried again, still no answer.

I though that was a dream. She really did leave me. Faith slammed her phone-wielding hand on the bed, and the mattress jiggled back at her. She stood up, got dressed and drank some more aspirins. Faith went out on a quest to bring Buffy back home, who she assumed was staying with her sister.

On the way to Xander and Dawn's apartment, Faith ran into Simone.

"Hey where you been all day?"

Faith shoved her hands in her jeans pockets. "Asleep."

"No shit. Me too."

"So why were you just asking me where I was?"

Simone just shrugged.

"Never mind."

"So, uh, feel like patrolling tonight?" Simone faced her, walking backwards, waiting for her reply. "We got seven hours to rid the city of its cancer."

"You did not just say that."

"Nope. The blonde chick did, Desiree. Got it from her." Simone scratched the back of her head, smiling at herself. "Who the fuck talks like that anyway?"

Faith snorted a chuckle. "I know, right? And isn't cancer incurable, or hard to cure or something?"

Simone merely shrugged. "So? You wanna comb the old shipyard, the factory inside could be hiding the stupid fuckers."

"I'd love to, but some thing's come up."

"At 9 PM? It's a chick isn't it? And you're fucking whipped!" Simone stopped following her, chuckling. Faith hasn't exactly been forthcoming about her relationship with Buffy. She didn't want to show her hand just yet. Not until she's worked out what these people really mean to her. "Oh man, you - are - whipped. I was just kidding but you really are, aren't you?"

Faith kept walking past Simone as she called out to her. "Come on Faith, you're such a fucking buzz kill."

Faith slumped her shoulders, turning around, she quickly weighed the situation. Buffy was already mad at her whether she went with Simone or not. It wouldn't make any difference. And she was not fucking whipped. "Fine. One hour. But that's it." Faith's decision-making skill was gold.

After patrolling for not-one hour with Simone and the girls, they were so fired up. The girls invited Faith to let off some steam at a club called 'The Cellar' that Desiree described as, "Fucking sick with disco balls and lighted dance floors, and you can like dance around the DJ while he spinned."

They wouldn't let Faith leave, not that she made any real attempts to go. For the first time Faith felt she belonged. She was with her people in the same way, Buffy was, around the Scoobies. And now she has the Kiddies.

So they dragged Faith to the club, and to her surprise, many of the kiddie Slayers were there, waiting for her to make an appearance. And they welcomed Faith with open arms. She was high with all the adoration, the fawning, the fondling and the naughty smiles. She flashed them all with a gorgeously dimpled grin. They were in awe of her, like a god, almost.

"They've been waiting to meet you, Faith. You're the fucking guest of honor. Mother Slayer." Simone spoke close to her ear, holding her behind the neck before pushing her into the crowd of kiddies. For once Faith liked the label.

They partied like it was the end of the world. Hands down, the best party yet. Drinks were flowing, music was blasting, and the disco balls and dance floor were hot. The girls were grinding and gyrating next to her, groping and grabbing, trying to get a piece of her. One girl would be dancing with her, while another would pull her away. She was being pulled in different directions and it was dizzying, and it was fucking awesome. She laughed and she danced and she partied like it was her last day on earth. Not a care in the world.

* * *

Buffy kept glancing at her phone even while she was at work earlier. It hasn't rung then, and it still hasn't now. It was tiring, all day trying to hide the tears that threatened to fall at any given moment. But tonight at a dark alley while patrolling, she let herself go. She sat on a crate as her shoulders quaked and tears soaked her hanky. This was different, she did not see this coming, Faith holding out like this. It was driving her crazy. Not one single text message. And Buffy has been pouting at her phone all day. What was Faith trying to accomplish? Was she giving her the cold shoulder? But it's Buffy who's supposed to be doing that. Was she giving her space? It sounds likely, but it doesn't sound like the brunette.

She's been staring at her phone, making it ring in her mind during dinner. Dawn had to stage an intervention. She took Buffy's phone and put it in the cupboard. Earlier, she was this close to giving Faith a call. Buffy wanted to hear her voice, preferably apologizing, and pleading for her to come home. She wanted Faith to say the right words like she always did.

Buffy could drop by the apartment, and then what, have Faith laugh at her for leaving and then coming back the next day? If she gave in now, Faith would never take her seriously. Like ever. She wanted to teach Faith a lesson.

Just when Buffy finally gave up waiting, her phone rang. Yes, she took the phone back from the cupboard after Dawn and Xander went inside their bedroom. She needed the alarm, so she told herself. She wiped her tears and looked at the screen. Her heart skipped a beat. It's Faith. But she can't just answer it. If Faith thought she can just make a call to make everything all right, she got another thing coming. Buffy wasn't gonna make it easy for the brunette. Not after making her wait all day. Buffy put the phone on silent and continued on her patrol.

* * *

Faith came home real hammered at around 6 AM.

"Uhh... Hnh..." Faith woke up groggy. The sun was pouring in from the open blinds and it hurt her eyes like hell. She stumbled on her way to the window, shielding her eyes with her arm, trying to close down the blinds. Two unsuccessful attempts later, she finally did.  
She plopped back down on the bed, groaning.

"My head hurts like fuck."

Faith recoiled from the unfamiliar voice. She gently pulled the covers down and saw a girl squinting, looking at her. It was that chick from the bar, one of the kiddie Slayers. She had dark hair and blue eyes. Faith immediately reached for her clothes, sighing loudly after confirming that she's not naked, which means they didn't do the nasty. Thank goodness. There will be hell to pay for this. Lots and lots.

"Do you have Tylenol or aspirins, or something?" The chick rubbed her temples. "My head is killing me."

"You have to go." Faith pushed her. "Like now."

"Hey! You're so fucking rude."

"I got people coming over. Why am I explaining to you? Get the fuck outta here. Move."

"Girlfriend's coming over, huh?"

"You don't know shit."

"You wouldn't let me take your clothes off last night, saying you're girlfriend's gonna kick your ass if she found out. Blah blah boring blah."

"Well, nothing happened. I'm still fully-clothed. And so are you."

"You sure about that? Bet your life on it type of sure?

Faith gritted her teeth.

"You're so fucking whipped."

"Out! Now! Move your ass now!"

The chick flipped her off, rolling her eyes at her. She collected her things and headed to the door - just as it opened. Faith's eyes widened in horror and her body stiffened.

Buffy emerged from the door, and the three of them stood frozen, forming a triangle, looking at each other. Faith's breathing have stopped. Or did the air go out of the room? Either way, she was fucked. Big time.

* * *

**Hey guys, don't be shy to post a review. I welcome all types! Positive, negative, neutral. We're all writers here, we know how important feedback is. :D We need to grow as a writer. And you can help me with your reviews. :)**


	6. Chapter 6

"Slayer Mom. Holy shit. Please tell me you're just roomies." The girl covered her mouth, turning to Faith.

"Buffy, honey I swear nothing happened."

"What is your name?" Buffy ignored Faith, addressing the other girl with furrowed brows.

"Look, I didn't know. She didn't say she had a girlfriend, okay?"

"Your name."

The girl started to cry. "Please, please don't kill me. I came home with her, I thought she was single, I mean she acted like it. But I promise we didn't have sex. We made out at the bar and on the way here but that's it. We were too drunk. And she kept talking about how her girlfriend was gonna kick her ass. That was the first I've heard of it, and I didn't know it was you."

Buffy rubbed her temples. It was a relief they didn't have sex but it didn't make the ache in her heart disappear. "Go."

As the girl walked past Buffy, "Don't let me see you with my girlfriend again, do you understand?"

The girl nodded and whimpered a yes, then left.

"Honey. I've missed you." Faith nervously smoothed her hair.

Buffy looked Faith in the eyes, holding back the tears but was unable to. She covered her face and muffled her cries.

Faith sprinted toward her, giving her a hug. "It's not what it looks like. I swear honeybee."

Buffy emerged from her hands with red eyes, her face and some of her hair were soaked in tears. "I want you... out, out of here." She was talking with hiccups and sobs in between.

"Please don't do this. Nothing happened I swear. I was fully clothed when I woke up. We both were."

Buffy took a deep breath, fixing her hair and wiping her nose. In a steady voice, she said, "Get out, Faith."

"No." Faith crossed her arms, shaking her head. "I won't. You are not getting rid of me easy."

Buffy slapped Faith across the face. It was brutal. It left a red mark on the brunette's cheek. Buffy raised her hand again and slapped her two more times, each strike harder than the last. Faith staggered back a few steps, her lips bled and the side of her face throbbed in pain. It would have knocked her unconscious if she hadn't been a Slayer.

"Do your worst Buffy. You'd have to kill me to get rid of me. I'm going nowhere."

"I don't love you." Buffy focused on the carpeted floor, hugging herself. "I was lonely and you were, just there. Yes, you hurt me but at the end of the day... I never really loved you. You were right about me being Angel's girl, you know. And all the time you held me close and made love to me, I pretended it was Angel doing it."

"I don't believe you." Faith's voice trembled. It has lost its resolve. "That's not true. I felt it."

"I really thought I could do this. I thought... I thought I could be with you. But I can't. I tried..."

Faith grabbed her jacket and left, swinging the door closed with so much force, the thud resembled a thunder. Buffy's shoulders jerked at the sound. She sat at the edge of the bed, slowly lying down into a ball and wailed.

* * *

Faith was striding, everything was a blur. The wind licked at her face as her eyes started to sting and tears began to fall. She picked up her pace, running and panting. Maybe if she ran fast enough, she could escape the pain in her chest. Maybe if she ran really really fast, she could quickly put all of this behind her.

All of a sudden, something heavy knocked her over and she landed hard on her back.

Faith lifted her head, wincing from pain, examining the pink mohawk on top of her. "Simone? What the fuck?"

Simone got off Faith. "You were running so fast, I wanted to talk to you but you weren't slowing down."

"So you fucking tackled me?"

"Stopped you, didn't it?"

Faith chuckled and Simone joined in. They remained lying down, staring up at the stars.

Simone put an arm under her almost bald head. "It's none of my fucking business, but what's up with the Boston Marathon?"

"I like to jog at night. Exercise."

"Bullshit." Simone paused. "And the tears?"

Faith sniffed and wiped her nose with her forearm, but said nothing.

"Whatever it was, I want you to know, we're here for you. You're our Mother Slayer, Faith."

Simone propped herself up with an elbow. "Mother Slayer of the rogues. It makes sense, you being formerly wayward yourself."

Faith chuckled in her husky voice. "Got a nice ring to it."

Faith swallowed a lump in her throat remembering what just happened. The tears threatened to fall again as a mini-movie play in her head.

For four months, Faith became Buffy's girlfriend officially. The first month was unofficial. They slept together but the relationship had no label. Faith couldn't believe it. She has broken down the walls of Buffy the hard-hearted Slayer. Known for being a serial heart breaker, everyone knew. It was such a fucking achievement. She deserved an award or something.

There was so much history between them, most of which was bad. Faith tried to kill Buffy, in return, she put Faith in a coma. But the Buffy she remembered now was the sweet, gentle girlfriend who did the laundry, cooked her breakfast, laughed at her jokes, cuddled with her, kissed her and made love to her. The Buffy who made her feel good about herself.

"You're mom was a musician?" Buffy's green eyes widened. She lay on her side close to Faith.

"Before she started drinking, yeah she was. She played everything. She can read notes and play by ear, she was great. Played guitar, piano, the harmonica and the cello."

"And she taught you how to play?"

"Yep. We didn't have a lot of money, but we were happy. I remember Dad bought Mom a cello when he won the lottery, or some card game. We had our initials carved on the back, F for Faith, A for Alessandra, my mom, and L for Luke, my dad. It was also an acronym for my name."

"Acronym? Your name is not just Faith Lehane? What does A stand for?"

"Faith Alessandra Lehane, mom's name was my middle name. She was part Italian."

"She was? You never told me that. She must have been good looking." Buffy sounded impressed, scooting a little closer to Faith, putting an arm over her waist. "Alessandra. Such a beautiful name. My girlfriend's name is Alessandra. That's way cool."

Faith pursed her lips showing off her dimples. She was quite pleased with herself. Seeing Buffy fawn over her being Italian. "Yeah, she was a real beauty, especially when she was young, dad always said. We look alike, you know. That's where I got all this Italian charm." Faith winked at her girlfriend.

Buffy rolled her eyes, feigning annoyance.

"Her mom, my grandma, was from Florence, Italy. Died before I was born." Faith paused. "Mom and I both have dark hair. I got it from her."

Buffy was listening intently.

"And then, Dad was imprisoned for murder. By then he had become a serious gambler. Befriended all the wrong people. He was later killed in his cell by some gang initiate. That's when mom started to spiral down."

"I'm sorry." Buffy reached over and kissed her.

"Is that what I get for every sob story? 'Cause I got a lot." Faith's husky voice trailed off. She rolled on her side, and pushed back a wisp of Buffy's hair. "Did I ever tell you about the foster home I got sent to? The owners had a vampire son. Kept him in the basement. They fed him all the rowdy undisciplined foster children, including me."

"Poor baby." Buffy pouted and kissed her again.

"Poor him. I killed the son of a bitch. Good thing I'm a Slayer, even though that was way before I got called. I must have been thirteen. What can I say? When you got it, you got it."

"That's my Faithy. I'm so proud of you." Buffy smiled, caressing the side of her face.

For the longest time since her parents died, Faith has never made anyone proud. Not like anyone has ever claimed they were, and definitely not because of anything she's done. It was always, 'you are such a disappointment, Faith,' 'you are the biggest traitor,' or 'you are nothing but a big, selfish, worthless waste.'

How time flies. In a span of five months, Faith thought she was being given a shot at happiness. But nothing lasts. Story of her life. It's always been that way when Faith found happiness. She was only given a glimpse. Nothing lasts.

_I won't be able to stop thinking about her, it's only gonna get worse from here on. I just know it._ Faith thought to herself as she downed a shot. She let Simone drag her to Lucky 13 Bar in Market Street. They reek of the brewery, drinking everything from tequila to beer to vodka.

Simone slapped her in the back. "Don't be a pussy. Drink. Chug. Faster."

Faith and Simone clinked their shot glasses together and gulped down the contents.

Every smile, every touch and every move. Damn. Faith could remember every little thing about Buffy. How was she supposed to forget now when she spent all this time immersing in all of her? Where will she start?

"Maybe I should just go back to London." Faith made a face, putting down the shot glass.

"Gotta do what you gotta do." Simone bobbed her head, leaning on the bar with folded arms.

"I have a band there. We got a bunch of originals... We were about to record, but everything got put on hold when I came here to San Fran. It's been five months."

"So wait a minute, you left your band for five months, and you think they'd still accept you?"

"Honestly, no. But a girl can try."

Simone chuckled.

"You know, I had this coming. God knows, I haven't been the most honest person. The universe is punishing me. And you know what, I deserve it. So bring on the pain. Fuck it. It's the only constant thing in my life anyway."

Simone just nodded in agreement, not really having any idea on the whole story. Her eyes were half-closed, and she was ready to keel over.

Faith smoothed her wavy locks, she clinked her beer bottle at Simone's. "She never loved me. Straight from the horse's mouth. You know what, it's a little fucked up. Sure, I lied to her but not with my feelings. I really genuinely love her. I never pretended she was someone else while we were together. But all along she was pretending. That's a form of lying too, right? It's so fucking fucked up."

"I was nobody special. I just happen to be there." Faith continued after chugging the alcohol, staring off into space. "Why did she have to say that? Why not just say, fuck off Faith. Don't wanna see your face again."

Simone just shrugged. The tip of the beer bottle pressed on her lips.

"That's what I get for falling in love with a serial heart breaker. She knows exactly where it would hurt, and that's where she strikes her blow." Faith leaned down, resting the side of her face on the bar. "When I come back around here, I'll make sure I'm over her. I swear on my mama's name."

* * *

"You're thinking like a slayer." Kennedy sipped her coffee. She called Buffy with only a job offer and one round trip ticket to LA and back. They met at a restaurant. Not much was said as to what type of job it would be.

"I am a Slayer. Isn't that why people would hire us?" Buffy crossed her arms and legs.

"People hire us because we're strong, smart and good in a fight. They want protection from kidnappings, ransoms and assassinations. So if you want the job, you need to stop looking at the world like you're the chosen one."

Buffy picked on the tea bag drenched inside her cup, thinking to herself._ Kennedy took us corporate. The Slayers who used to be part of a supernatural army are now hired bodyguards. Not too shabby._

"The pay's really good. More than what you'll ever make in a year waitressing. All the wealthy, the famous and the powerful pay good money just to have Slayers by their side, protecting them."

Buffy remained quiet, lost in her thoughts._ I couldn't care less about the money. But the change of pace could do me some good. It could help me forget..._

"Tomorrow. I'm on escort duty for some social-media wunderkind. You'll be with me. So? What say you? Will you take the offer? Wanna try your hand at being a bodyguard?"

"Were you ever in London, like ever? It's just weird finding you in LA when I heard you were in London."

"Okay, random much. And no, I've been here in LA. Never in London."

Buffy arched her brows. _That's weird. I couldn've sworn I heard that Kennedy was in London._

"Silence means yes? Or no?"

"What the hell. Let's do it." Buffy uncrossed her arms, resting them on the arms of the chair. "So that would make you my boss, right? Very well, count me in, boss."

Kennedy was amused by the label. "How soon can you start?"

"Now, pretty much. I'm available now. I resigned from my job before I flew here."

Kennedy was taken aback. "Really? I didn't know you had so much faith in me."

Buffy flinched at the word. She bit her lip, holding back tears. It was just too soon to hear her name. Who would have bet that of all the words Kennedy would be using that one? A sharp pain traveled from the pit of her stomach up to her chest. And there was aching. Lots of aching.

The wincing didn't escape a baffled Kennedy. "Are you all right? You look like you're constipated."

Buffy involuntarily placed her hands over her face muffling her sobs just in time. She couldn't fight off the tears any longer. Her shoulders shook as her sobs got louder.

Kennedy tried to comfort her, confused at Buffy's sudden outpour of emotions.

* * *

Faith was on a plane to England. She put her carry-on in the overhead compartment, settling on a seat close to the window. She took one last glance at the album on her phone full of photos of her and Buffy before hitting the delete button. She put her earphones on, and plugged the other end into the phone's jack. She goes to her music playlist and pressed play.

_I see you, the only one who knew me_  
_But now your eyes see through me_  
_I guess I was wrong_  
_So what now?_  
_It's plain to see we're over_  
_And I hate when things are over_  
_There's so much left undone_

_And I said, what about Breakfast at Tiffany's?_  
_She said, I think I remember the film_  
_And as I recall I think, we both kinda liked it_  
_And I said, well that's the one thing we've got_

* * *

THE END.

For now.

The story will be continued under a different title, to signify and emphasize the 'turning over of a new leaf' in the lives of the star-crossed lovers. Will they overcome this fate? :)

* * *

_I'm only pretty sure  
__That I can't take anymore__  
__Before you take a swing  
__I wonder, what are we fighting for?  
__When I say out loud  
__I wanna get out of this, I wonder  
__Is there anything I'm gonna miss?__  
_

_I wonder how it's going to be  
When you don't know me  
How's it going to be?  
When you saw I'm not there  
How's it going to be?  
When there's no one there to talk to  
Between you and me  
'Cause I don't care  
How it's going to be  
_

_Where we used to laugh  
There's a shouting match  
Sharp as a thumbnail scratch  
A silence I can't ignore_  
_Like the hammock by the doorway  
We spent time in, swings empty  
I don't see lightning like last fall  
When it was always about to hit me_

_I wonder how it's going to be  
When it goes down?  
How's it going to be  
When you're not around?  
How's it going to be  
When you found out there was nothing  
Between you and me  
'Cause I don't care  
How it's going to be  
_

_How's it going to be?  
When you don't know me anymore?  
And how's it going to be_  
_How's it gonna be?_

_Wanna get myself back in again  
The soft dive of oblivion  
I wanna taste the salt of your skin  
The soft dive of oblivion, oblivion_

_How's it going to be?_  
_When you don't know me anymore_  
_How's it going to be?  
__How's it going to be?_

* * *

SONG CREDITS THROUGHOUT THE CHAPTERS:

(I do not own them. I am merely a fan of these bands and their songs. I borrowed them, is all.)

All I want by Toad the Wet Sprocket  
Brick by Ben Folds Five  
Crash into me by Dave Matthews Band  
Breakfast at Tiffany's by Deep Blue Something  
How's it going to be by Third Eye Blind


End file.
